BT Broadband Usage Warning Email Scam

I am absolutely appalled by BT's 'policy' to simply scam their consumers in this way. When you sign up for BT Broadband, like any other internet service, you are asked to provide an Email address. This is an Email address that you use on a daily basis - it is essentially your 'primary' Email address. You expect, as a consumer, that any correspondence the company wish to make with you via Email will be to this Email address.

Once you are set up with BT you receive a letter detailing your account details - it also tells you about an Email address you get as part of your package. This is a btinternet.com Email address and has been standard practice since ISP services began. However, with the introduction of Webmail services such as Hotmal and GMail, these Email addresses almost become redundant (i.e. not used). This is where BT Broadband have taken it upon themselves to exploit their customers.

I am not an idiot, something BT seem to think all their consumers are. When I signed up for BT Broadband I specifically asked whether I would receive an Email telling me if I was coming close to my usage allowance. The sales person simply replied "yes you will". At no point whatsoever, on the phone or in writing, was I ever told anything about this usage warning Email being sent to my, at the time, non-existing Email address.

So, BT may argue that BT Broadband give you an Email address so that is the one they will use to send Emails to - if so, why would my BILL be sent to my Hotmail address when a WARNING Email about usage is sent to my btinternet.com Email address? There is only one explanation for this and that is to scam the consumer.

I have written to Ofcom about this policy BT have of conveniently sending your bill to one address (your primary address) and the warning of usage to another (the one they give you and you never use), but unfortunately they can not investigate this until several people with a similar issue lodge a complaint - that's where you as a consumer come in.

I know I am not alone on this, as several people on this very forum have had the same problems with BT and I urge you to head over to Ofcom and write a complaint as this is simply a scam from a 'trusted' and extremely large company.

I certainly won't be recommending BT Broadband to any friends or family and will be looking to make it known about this policy to many more people. I will also, at the first opportunity, switching my broadband to another company that offer an honest service.

I managed to get through to someone using: 0800 707 6044﻿. The people on the end of this line were extremely helpful - unlike the people I spoke to this morning that only ignited my anger in this issue.

She advised me that my Hotmail address wasn't even on their system - impossible as I was receiving not only my BILL but also an Email to advise me that I had gone over my usage allowance. She recognised there was clearly an error at BT's end and updated my account details to authorise a refund for the over usage. She then passed me through to the billing department who, after two attempts, were able to issue a refund of £20 for over usage. These two people were most helpful of which I am very thankful.

Got there in the end but I wouldn't have got this result without a fair amount of effort - something I should not have had to do. I appreciate good customer service so full marks to the two ladies I last spoke to who helped me get a resolution. I still question why this issue happened in the first place - something that BT will need to look into and investigate themselves, if not, I am sure Ofcom will.

I managed to get through to someone using: 0800 707 6044﻿. The people on the end of this line were extremely helpful - unlike the people I spoke to this morning that only ignited my anger in this issue.

She advised me that my Hotmail address wasn't even on their system - impossible as I was receiving not only my BILL but also an Email to advise me that I had gone over my usage allowance. She recognised there was clearly an error at BT's end and updated my account details to authorise a refund for the over usage. She then passed me through to the billing department who, after two attempts, were able to issue a refund of £20 for over usage. These two people were most helpful of which I am very thankful.

Got there in the end but I wouldn't have got this result without a fair amount of effort - something I should not have had to do. I appreciate good customer service so full marks to the two ladies I last spoke to who helped me get a resolution. I still question why this issue happened in the first place - something that BT will need to look into and investigate themselves, if not, I am sure Ofcom will.

Kind Regards,

Chris Bratt

Hi Chris. Welcome to the forums.

To be honest, the bill is completely separate to the BTBroadband service, even if the broadband portion is included.

Did you previously have online/email billing for BT phone before joining BT Broadband ? If so then I would expect that the bill would continue to come to the same email address. The BTBroadband usage is a different entity and has actually always gone to the users' primary btinternet.com email address - as well as other service type emails.

It's not a scam of course.

It's possible to forward all of your btinternet.com emails to the hotmail account if you wish (you do this via webmail).

Re: BT Broadband Usage Warning Email Scam

Hi Andy. The simple answer to that is "no" - when I joined BT it was just to get BT Broadband. The only reason we have a phone line etc is for the BT Broadband. We had the line installed at the same time the broadband was ordered/installed.

Re: BT Broadband Usage Warning Email Scam

I had this exact same problem. Mine was particulary interesting. I had an email saying I was to be charged as I had exceeded my limit to the email address I used to register with BT. So I rang bt and asked where my warning mail was. They said it is sent to my bt email address. Didn't know I had one

Anyway the unhelpful chap on the line said all emails are sent there and no where else. I asked him to explain how I got the bill email to my personal email. He said that's impossible. Is was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. So I asked him to transfer me to technical to confirm which email address they send notifications to! They confirmed that it should be and only be my personal address. And admitted that I had had no warning emails.

They have since fixed this. They refunded my money. But this took me an hour to get out of them.

Re: BT Broadband Usage Warning Email Scam

IanC - nice attempt to patronise me... but explain to me this - why when I asked the lady on the phone about usage warning emails was there no mention it would go to the btinternet.com email address? and also - why is the email address you give them when you sign up not by default your primary email address?